A dream cruise has turned into a floating hospital ship after 182 travellers were stricken with gastroenteritis, but in stoic Australian fashion, disembarking passengers have taken the outbreak in their stride.

Royal Caribbean cruises ship Explorer of the Seas arrived in port in Sydney on Wednesay, with medics forced to notify NSW Health authorities of the extent of the stomach flu contamination on board.

But passengers told The Huffington Post Australia the outbreak won't blow out their holiday plans.

“It’s pretty scary, but it will be fine," said one woman passenger.

A man travelling with his wife and children said staff moved quickly to disinfect the ship soon after the illness was detected.

"They couldn’t have done it better. It was a great experience, we did it for two weeks, there is five in our family and it was wonderful," he said.

Other passengers said the ships corridors were flooded with medics going in and out of rooms. The spreading illness was made worse by rough conditions at sea.